


Endless Night

by TokiDokiIchinose



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 03:19:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8429452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TokiDokiIchinose/pseuds/TokiDokiIchinose
Summary: Tokiya Ichinose, a rising skater, suddenly drops out of the world of figure skating, leaving behind a tragic story of his career. Now 21 and finally going to college with his friend Syo Kurusu, he believes his life is better off. That is, until he meets a certain redhead and gains what he thought was lost forever.





	

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt! That will be the end of his performance for this evening. Tokiya Ichinose will not be in the competition for gold. Ryuya, what are your thoughts on the score he was just given?"

"From the moment he turned into that quadruple Lutz, I could tell his fall was inevitable, Ringo. He needed a perfect score and just fell short of it. On top of that, the injury he retained from that seems pretty serious. He may be done skating for a while."

.

. . .

.

"Tokiya? I came to drop off the assignments from today's classes." Syo Kurusu, a classmate and friend of Tokiya, was knocking on the door of the single dorm the other used. Usually when he made these visits to drop off work, Tokiya would just take it and tell him to leave. Instead and much to his curiosity, the door was left ajar, and the blunet seemed to be elsewhere. Syo walked through the doorway and flicked the lights on. He glanced around the bare room before walking over to the small desk. He was only going to leave the other's work there, but something on his desk caught the blond's attention.

"So that's where you are..." He sighed, put the papers he held off to the side on the desk, and exited the room locking the door behind himself. He then headed in the direction Tokiya most likely and surprisingly went in.

Tokiya lifted the earbuds to his ears and pressed play on his music player, letting the all too familiar song ring in his ears for the first time in a few years. With a push, he glided across the ice, a feeling that brought nostalgia and resurfaced painful memories. as he went through the routine that ended his career in a single moment, Tokiya paused on the spin he failed to complete that day. Instead of skating into the approach that led to the difficult spin, he stopped the music and skated to the center of the rink. All he could think of was the moment he fell, the audible gasp from the crowd and the music that accompanied his routine were the only sounds that could be heard throughout the stadium. Before the blunet could start his music again and change the song to something else less aggravating, a voice he knew too well echoed along the walls.

"When you said you wanted to come to the same college as me, I knew it was only because it had one of the best skating rinks in the country. You kept denying it, but everyone else could tell you were lying to yourself." Syo walked down to where a section of the Plexiglas had been taken down against the side of the rink, leaning onto it to get closer to his friend.

With a sigh and a tug of his earbuds, Tokiya skated over to his friend. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a class at this time." The retired figure skater checked his watch to reassure himself of the time.

"Nah, class got cancelled today. Apparently the professor got sick. You would've known that too if you checked your emails. He emailed us earlier today. I was bringing you work from a class when I saw you weren't in your room. Which reminds me, lock your door, idiot. Anyone could've just walked in." Syo leaned over to punch the other's shoulder, but missed when Tokiya pushed his skates to the side.

The blunet rolled his eyes. "I was busy." Syo looked at him as if he grew another head. He sighed again. "I was in a rush, that's why the door was left open." This gained him another odd look from Syo.

"Why were you in a rush to come here?" The blond gestured to the rink. After Tokiya's incident in the 4CC, or the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, a few years back, the blunet told him that he was done skating. Of course, Syo didn't really believe him since he was childhood friends with the other and knew how long he had been skating. A few weeks after his full recovery from the surgery he had to get due to the injury received in the 4CC, when he didn't dare to even touch his skates, Syo had slowly begun to realize just how serious he truly was.

Tokiya seemed to contemplate what to say while he ran his fingers through his own navy locks. "It doesn't matter." He spoke in a low, frustrated voice as he pushed away from the wall to continue skating freely. His earbuds made their way back into his ears again, soft piano played through the small speakers.

Syo leaned against the railing again with a hand on his cheek, unsure of what to make of Tokiya's reactions and words. Giving up momentarily, the blond left the stadium to give his friend the space he clearly needed.

The next day, Syo whistled as he walked into the lecture hall to find the one person he least expected to be in his seat. "Well if it isn't Mr. Personality. Glad you could make it for once."

Tokiya seemed unable to hear him as he wrote something in a notebook he had open. The closer Syo got to him, the easier he was able to understand that what his friend was writing was a figure skating routine. "Yo, earth to Tokiya." Abruptly, said male shut the notebook and flicked his gaze up to meet Syo's own. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Get to your seat before the teacher comes in." The blunet turned away from a very confused Syo to the window. Before the shorter male could protest, the professor walked in, Deciding to discuss it later, he sat down in his own seat almost across the room from the blunet.

"Let's get started on where we left off last time. Can anyone tell me the difference between-"

The doors to the lecture hall were thrown open and a redhead came bursting in, panting as if he just ran a marathon. "Sorry! I'm so sorry!" He spoke between pants and bowed as he practically yelled his apology to the teacher. Tokiya looked over from the window to the student and then to Syo, who looked as if he was trying really hard not to laugh. HE rolled his eyes and watched as the teacher berated the student and pointed towards the seats. The redhead rubbed the back of his head nervously and looked around. That was when he locked eyes with Tokiya and seemed to brighten up. Tokiya merely gazed back out the window as the student threw his stuff down next to him and sat down.

As the class continued on, Tokiya kept finding the other looking at him. Once they made eye contact, the redhead whom the teacher called Ittoki would look back towards the front embarrassedly. Syo shrugged and mouthed I don't know to him when he looked over to his friend for answers. He resigned himself to writing in his notebook again with a sigh. His annoyance only worsened as Ittoki tried to talk to him, getting them both in trouble with the professor.

Once class ended, Syo bound his way over to Tokiya, ignoring the redhead next to him. The skater began packing up his belongings into the leather suitcase he brought as Syo leaned on the seat in front of him. "Are you heading to the rink again today?"

"No. Don't bring that up again."

"So you aren't going?"

"That is what I meant when I said no."

"Just checking. I'll take that as you'll be there later."

"No. I just said-"

"Eto... you're Tokiya Ichinose, right?"

Both Syo and Tokiya turned to the voice that interrupted their conversation to find it belonging to the redhead. He seemed to completely ignore the blond, setting his eyesight on only Tokiya.

"Yes, that would be I." He stood up from his seat, uncomfortable with how bright and cheerful the other seemed to be.

The redhead's eyes seemed to get wider and his smile brighter at his words. "You're that professional skater, right?! I'm Otoya Ittoki! I used to love watching you skate!" Tokiya turned to Syo as if asking for help. Syo only looked away and pretended to check if he had all his materials for the class. Tokiya gazed back at Otoya, irritated at Syo.

"Thank you, I suppose. I have to get going, so if you'll excuse me-" He picked up his suitcase to leave when the redhead threw his arms out in front of him.

"Wait! I just want to say something really fast!"

Tokiya sighed and put the bag down. "Make it quick."

Otoya fidgeted nervously before finding the right words to say. "I've seen you skate a few times before. Actually, watching you skate made me decide to try it. It was exciting for me to watch someone around my age at the time do something as incredible with just a thin pair of blades on ice. That was when I decided that if you could do it, then maybe I could, too!" Syo looked from Otoya's excited expression to Tokiya's own dumbfounded one and had to stop himself from laughing.

"So you skate now... because of me?" Tokiya was hardly able to grasp that concept but remembered when he first watched figure skating and started soon after. He still found it unbelievable that someone started skating because of himself.

"Yep! Oh! I wanted to ask you something! I know you're retired and everything, but would you be willing to give me some pointers on my routine for the 4CC this year? Maybe even help add to it? I was so excited when they picked me to enter for Japan! We could go to the rink later and-"

"No thank you." With that, Tokiya began walking towards the door without another word.

"Uhh... sorry about that..." Syo grabbed his own bag and hurried after his friend, leaving a stunned and saddened Otoya behind.

"You could've been nicer about that. He was only asking for your help and nicely, too. Why'd you reject him anyways? I get that you'd be helping him for the competition you didn't get to finish but still. You'd only have to direct him and give-"

"I don't want to. If I had wanted to, I would've said yes. It's as easy as that." Tokiya turned in the direction of his dorm, while Syo watched him walk away with a dissatisfied frown on his face.

"He's only lying to himself but whatever." Syo grumbled to himself as he headed in the opposite direction of the other.

.

. . .

.

Tokiya frustratedly threw his bag down at the foot of his bed and laid down on it, throwing an arm over his eyes. A part of himself wanted to help the other, but the other half was unsure what to do. He didn't want a repeat of what happened to himself to happen to anyone else. It would only be his own fault. It was a risk he wasn't sure he wanted to take just yet. It had been three years since his injury, but he didn't want to take any chances. He wasn't even sure if he could skate as well as he once did, so if he tried to show Otoya any kind of turns or glides, it would only look sloppy. The last time he had a coach to help him was around three and a half years ago. Why didn't Otoya get a real coach like he once had if he wanted help? It made no sense to the blunet. The retired skater kept going back and forth between the pros and cons before finally deciding what to do. He threw his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. He was only going to observe. That was it. Tokiya grabbed a thin sweatshirt and looped his arms through the sleeves before heading out the door and towards the ice rink.

.

. . .

.

Otoya quickly skated to the boards he slung his towel over and grabbed it, throwing it around his shoulders. He was about to skate to the exit off the ice when he heard the door to the arena open and a voice echo.

"Finished already?"

Otoya stared in awe as Tokiya approached the first row of seats for the audience and sat down, draping one leg over the other. "Would I be able to watch your routine from beginning to end?"

Quickly snapping out of it, he nodded his head furiously. "Yes! T-That'd be awesome! Err... just give me one second!" Otoya quickly wiped his face off before throwing the towel back to where it was and skated to the center of the ice. Tokiya leaned back in his seat and folded his hands on his knee waiting for the other to start. Otoya took a deep breath before finally gliding into his routine.

Tokiya watched carefully as the other leapt and spun across the ice, making mental notes about the smallest mistakes instinctually. As Otoya ended with a pose, the blunet found himself leaning forwards. He adjusted his posture and watched as the redhead skated over to him.

"What'd you think?" Otoya both nervously and excitedly leaned forward with wide eyes, waiting for the other's response.

"Hmm... well, fundamentally, it's strong. I can see why you would ask for help, but I'm not here to coach you. I only came to watch. If you'll excuse me..." Tokiya got up from his seat and turned to walk away when Otoya spoke.

"Thank you! Is there anything I really need to fix by any chance? You don't have to show me or anything! I can just fix it on my own!" Tokiya stood with his back facing the other, contemplating whether or not he should help.

"I swear you won't have to!" Tokiya begrudgingly turned around. His ocean blue eyes met bright ruby ones and a pleading expression.

"Your butterfly spin needs work." His comment caught the other off guard. "You arch your back while you're in the air instead of being parallel to the ice."

"I do?" Otoya skated away from the edge and slowly went through the motion of his butterfly kick.

Tokiya walked to the wall and rested an arm against it. He shook his head as Otoya made the same mistake.

"You're too scared to fully throw yourself into it."

Otoya looked back at the other with a sheepish grin. "It's hard to do. I guess I was just happy to have learned the basics of the move. Can I see you do it?!" He pushed against the ice, sending himself forward towards the blunet. In turn, Tokiya stepped back from the wall to put space between them.

"I don't have my skates with me. You are lucky I'm even here."

Otoya put his right hand on the back of his neck and directed his gaze off to the side. "Sorry, I had no right to ask anyways."

Tokiya sighed in annoyance before turning and walking up the steps towards the exit. "Be here around 11:30. We have a lecture at 9, so we can't be here any earlier than that."

Otoya beamed in excitement from the ice. "Thank you, Tokiya!"

Tokiya only waved in response as he left the redhead to skate to his heart's content.

.

. . .

.

"Are you sick?"

"I wouldn't be here if I was sick, Syo."

Syo leaned in closer to Tokiya before placing a hand on the other's forehead.

"Hmm... not sick and in class. Why?" Syo sat down in the seat next to his friend, suspicion written across his face.

"If it offends you that I'm here, then don't sit next to me." Tokiya crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.

The blond laughed and playfully punched the other's arm. "I'm only kidding. Relax. Y'know, it's funny how awful your attendance is now compared to how it used to be."

"Does it matter what I used to be like?"

"Not really but-" Syo was interrupted when a certain redhead threw down his backpack with a huff.

"Hey, Otoya. Woke up late?"

Otoya turned to Syo, his face rivaling the color of his hair as he leaned to put his hands on his knees. With a grin, he looked up at the blond.

"I was so excited that I forgot the time and had to run here. Hi, Tokiya!"

Said blunet directed his attention to Otoya and sighed. "Hello."

Syo gazed between Otoya's almost sparkling smile and Tokiya's apparent frown. "Why were you excited?"

As Otoya opened his mouth to speak, the teacher walked in and began to speak. Otoya sat down in the seat in front of Tokiya and turned to face the board. Syo looked back at Tokiya and realized how odd he was dressed before it hit him. Quickly, the blond ripped a piece of paper out from his notebook and wrote something on it. He then folded it and when the teacher turned towards the board, slipped the paper to Tokiya.

Tokiya glanced at him questioningly before taking the small slip of paper and opening it.

"R u gonna 2 sk8 after class?"

He wrote a small note in response on the paper and sent it back Syo's way. The shorter male flipped open the note with curiosity.

"Yes. So?"

Syo paused for a moment before writing a reply. He waited for the teacher to look away before sliding the paper across Tokiya's desk. The blunet rolled his eyes and took the paper between his fingers.

"Wow, twice in 3 years. What made u change ur mind?"

Frustrated, Tokiya scribbled his answer on the paper and threw it back in Syo's direction. Syo smirked and opened it.

"I haven't changed my mind. I'm only giving criticism on his routine. I can't do that without demonstrating."

The next time Syo threw him his response, Tokiya crumpled up the paper and pushed it to the bottom of his bag. The rest of class was spent by Syo tossing notes at Tokiya, who in return threw them into his bag and notebook. Otoya looked behind himself and witnessed the scene a few times, confusion clear on his face. Once the class was dismissed, Syo immediately started bantering the retired figure skater.

"You could've opened one of the twenty notes I threw at you. They all said the same thing anyway."

"If only you applied that kind of wasted energy to schoolwork."

"At least I go to my classes."

"Yet I have better grades."

"We can't all be-"

"Tokiya?"

Tokiya turned towards Otoya and nodded his head, grabbing the bag at his feet that contained his skates.

"Let's go." Without waiting for the redhead and relieved for the excuse to leave, Tokiya took off towards the door. Syo was left wondering what was to become of his friend and shook his head.

.

. . .

.

"Again."

"I've already done it six times! When will you tell me what I'm doing wrong?"

"You don't learn by watching but by experiencing. Do it again."

Otoya groaned and skated into position for his buttery kick. Once again, he completed the kick without so much as a word from the blunet.

"How was that?" Otoya spoke between pants, gazing at the other with anticipation.

"You aren't correcting it. You are only showing me the same mistake over and over again." Tokiya reached the down and removed the guards off his skates. He then leaned forward against the barrier and threw his legs over it, landing on the ice. The blunet glided to the center of the rink and stopping in a starting position.

"Watch." Tokiya waited for Otoya to skate off to the side before beginning.

Otoya watched in fascination as Tokiya pushed off his right skate and glided across the ice. Fascination turned into amazement as the retired pro turned into an approach and seemed to fly off the ice, landing the kick Otoya couldn't seem to get right.

"Did you see what I did differently? Your approach is too fast, which plays into part of the issue. If you don't give yourself enough-"

"That was amazing! Show me again!" Otoya's eyes sparkled at the other's skating abilities. Tokiya only shook his head.

"I'm not doing it again. Let's just get back on track. Focus."

.

. . .

.

It had been a few hours later, and Tokiya was left alone in the rink. He had told Otoya he would lock up after he put his skates away just to get the redhead out. There was something the skater wanted to see for himself before he stopped for the day. As if the norm, Tokiya fell into step to his routine once more. this time, every glide was more powerful than the last time he performed it. Instead of skipping past the approach that led to the triple Lutz like he would usually do, he skated into it, fully ready to attempt it one more time. As he pushed his skates off the ice and into the air, a feeling he hadn't experienced in awhile came back to him in a rush. With more fervor than before, the blunet went through the rest of his performance with a flourish. He was left panting beads of sweat rolling down his face as he made his final pose, ending the routine.

"And the crowd goes wild chanting his name as he takes his final bows on the ice! Tokiya! Tokiya! Tokiya!" Syo grinned from a seat in the middle of the arena facing the skater, clapping as his friend only looked over at him with surprise.

"When did you-"

"About halfway through, I think. It's been awhile since you last skated the full routine." He stood up from his seat and ran up to the barrier around the rink. Pretending to hold a microphone up to himself, he leaned over the wall and spoke, "Mr. Ichinose, how do you feel right now after finishing that fantastic performance?" He exaggerated the word fantastic and pretended to lean the mike in Tokiya's direction.

Tokiya glided over to him, a small smile forming against his lips. "Well, Mr. Kurusu, there are plenty of things I could say. Let's begin with what I think I've waited too long to say. I'm coming back to the ice."

Syo stood stunned before an excited grin shone. "We've been waiting for your return, Tokiya Ichinose."

.

. . .

.

"How do you plan to get the word out?"

"I'm not sure."

"Are you serious about this?"

"I think so."

"Have you called your coach yet?"

"I was planning to do that once I was done."

"Can I be your manager?"

Tokiya stopped untying the laces on his skates to look up at Syo. "No." He slipped his skates off and began to put his sneakers on.

"Awe, why not? I'd be great!" Syo proudly stuck out his chest and jabbed a finger towards himself.

"You do realize my coach is my manager, right? I have no need for another one. I just have to call him first." Tokiya threw his skates back into the bag he carried them in and stood up.

"No fun, but fine. I guess that works, too." Syo shrugged and followed his friend towards the exit.

As he pushed past the door, Tokiya pulled out his phone and dialed a number he hadn't for quite some time.

"Hijirikawa, it's me. Are you available to meet within the next week? I'll contact Jinguji as well next Tuesday would be perfect. I'll see you then." With a click, the call was ended and the dark purple phone was put back into his pocket.

"All joking aside, are you 100% sure about this?" Syo glanced up at Tokiya, who seemed to be lost in thought.

"I don't know if it's even possible with how little time there is until the 4CC competition, but it wouldn't hurt to try. There's nothing to lose, but everything if I don't."

"I don't care if you lose or gain anything from this. I'm asking how you feel about skating again. I know very well how you felt after your fall and injury at the 4CC three years ago. I'm asking if this is something you really want to keep doing after that." Syo grabbed Tokiya's wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

Tokiya closed his eyes and sighed. After a moment, he turned to face him and opened his eyes. Ocean blue eyes met sky blue ones, and with a newfound confidence, Tokiya spoke. "I want to do this again. I have to. Otoya made me realize that."

Syo grinned and released his grip on his friend. "Since you have enough confidence to do this again, you have to get in and crush the competition."

"I have to get in first. I'll be taking time off from classes to start up training again. As my personal life manager, I'll need you to inform my teachers. Hijirikawa will hand me a document saying why I won't be available. I will be sure to give it to you."

"So now I'm your personal life manager. Less interesting, but I'll accept."

"Good. Now, let's go. There's a lot of work that needs to get done."

"Let's get you into the 4CC!"

.

. . .

.

"So what you're saying is that you want us to coach you once again. Is that it?" A man with short blue hair sat across from Tokiya. With arms crossed, he tapped his right index finger impatiently against his left arm.

"Hijirikawa, Jinguji, I know this is last minute but-"

A man with orange locks were pulled back into a ponytail while a few loose strands framed his face, sat next to the other blunet. He interrupted Tokiya's soon-to-be long and windy answer with a raised hand. The ginger leaned forward against the table and stared at his past student before speaking.

"It's very last minute-"

"I know you both must be very busy, but I would really-"

Ren closed his eyes and put a hand up again. "Listen, Icchi. As I was saying, it's very last minute, but I'm willing to help my favorite student find his wings once more." With a grin and a playful wink, Ren leaned back into his seat and suppressed a chuckle as Tokiya bowed his head in appreciation.

"Thank you, Jinguji. Please help me work hard." He lifted his gaze to receive a nod from his previous ballet instructor. He then turned to Masato with a hopeful look.

His previous skating coach uncrossed his arms and reached for his cup of coffee. He spoke before taking a sip of it. "I was hoping to receive a call from you. It's been three years too long, Ichinose. Be prepared for intense training."

A small smile replaced the serious expression on Tokiya's face as he bowed once more. "Thank you, Hijirikawa. I appreciate all the effort you're putting forwards to help me from both of you."

the time, Ren didn't hold back and laughed. "College doesn't seem to have changed you too much. Which reminds me, why the sudden comeback? Last I heard from you, you said you were done forever."

Tokiya looked up at him. "I had a little help." When Ren gave him an odd look, he decided to continue. "Let's just say something unexpected occurred and brought back my passion to skate. I prefer skating than teaching others how to. After a little practice, I rediscovered that."

Masato and Ren both smiled. "It seems you've grown, Icchi. As a person and as a skater. Why don't we show that to the world, shall we? As you know, each country involved in the 4CC, or Four Continents Figure Skating Championships for short, is allowed the minimum of a group of three for every category, and there are four categories in total. If I've heard correctly, we're still looking for two more members. We'll have to get you ready to showcase yourself in a month, and it's not going to be easy. I'll have to see if they'll allow you to join late in the running for the team. So far, there are three other figure skaters aiming for the last spot open for the category you'd be entered in, Men's Singles. There's Ai Mikaze, 15 years-old, and a genius in the world of figure skating. He's very new, but he's won every competition he's ever competed in with pretty high scores. Not a lot of people have actually seen him mess up. They say he's never fallen and destined to win the spot. That is, if Ranmaru Kurosaki doesn't take that away from him. Although not as accurate as Mikaze, his style of skating is much more thrilling to watch and contains a lot more passion in comparison to the almost lifeless newbie. Your last competition would be Reiji Kotobuki. As of recently, he seems to be getting higher and higher on the must-watch list. He's your senior by seven years. Yes, seven. Don't take him lightly, though. He has way more experience than you do, and he's been skating continuously the past nine years. His performances are full of energy and practically flawless. Those are only the leading skaters. We're going to work you to your breaking point to get you ready for this."

Masato nodded at his every word, carefully studying Tokiya's reactions. "While he deals with trying to register you, you'll be working exclusively with me for five hours or more every day. I've yet to see where you stand with posture, balance, and fluidity. Come to my studio at seven in the morning sharp. Don't keep me waiting, Ichinose."

"Of course." The three men stood up from their seats and shook hands. Determination was stronger than ever before in Tokiya's ocean blue eyes.

"Not bad, Ichinose. I can tell you haven't practiced in a bit, but you don't seem to have lost much of my teachings." Masato had been watching as he made Tokiya run through the basics of his previous lessons. The instructor strolled to the other from his position in front of the mirrors against the barre in his professional ballet studio. "Remember to keep your arms tucked in tightly when spinning. When turning out of it, remember to unfold them gracefully and not too sharply. Grab their attention. Don't make them shy away with harsh movements." Masato demonstrated the arm movements correctly and then watched as Tokiya tried again. "Better but still sharp. I know you like precision. I can tell that hasn't left you, but precision means nothing if you can't feel emotionally attached to the program. You want to draw them in, captivate them, drive them to tears, and make them give you a standing ovation." As Masato spoke, Tokiya continued to improve his movements, making them more fluid. "Better. Much better. Keep going. You shouldn't need a break yet. We've only just begun."

The rest of the day continued on like so. Ren kept him at the studio until almost 2 p.m., when he had to teach a class that he couldn't reschedule. "Keep coming the same time every day until Jinguji starts your skating sessions again. Once he devises a schedule, come see me. We'll work around it. For someone who hasn't been keeping up with training for three years, you weren't too bad."

"Once again, thank you for sparing your time to work with me. I'm indebted to your kindness, Hijirikawa." Tokiya slung the bag he had brought over his left shoulder, while he held a bottle of water in the other, bowing his head to the ginger.

"Remember to apply today's lesson to the ice tomorrow. " Masato waved before shutting the door and starting up a ballet class.

The blunet nodded his head and walked to his car. He opened the passenger door and threw his bag onto the seat before shutting the door and walking to the driver's side. This was going to be a long month until the competition.

.

. . .

.

"As predicted it wasn't easy." Ren stood before Tokiya in an ice rink reserved for their private practice. The ginger skated away from the boards and to the blunet, who stood frozen in place waiting for news about his participation in the entry competition for the 4CC. "But I have made it possible."

Tokiya sighed in relief, a small smile forming across his lips. He would be able to skate once more.

"They were very hesitate about letting you in, but with a little convincing, I got them to say yes. You're going to have to perform as best you can to show them it wasn't a mistake. They'll be watching your every move. Remember that." Ren pointed a finger at him and turned on the ice. "Now time to get down to business. Obviously you've been practicing a bit as of recently, but I haven't seen you. I want you to go through a small combination of footwork, spins, and the minimum of two quads and a triple axel. Impress me."

Tokiya nodded and made his way to the center of the ice. With a small intake of a breath, his skates drifted along the smooth ice. Ren watched with a hand on his chin, his expression difficult to interpret. This lasted a mere two minutes until the blunet ended with a scratch spin into his final position.

"Hmm... you're too stiff. I'm glad you went to Hijirikawa yesterday, but you still seem to be having a few problems. The judges aren't going to care for your routine if you stay like this. Not to worry. That's why you came back to me, correct?" Ren grinned at him.

Tokiya ran a hand through his navy locks with frustration. "Well, it would have been hard to get someone difficult what with time being so precious."

This time, it was Ren's turn to sigh. "'Ren, you're such a great coach! I wouldn't have wanted to go with anyone else. What would I have done if you said no?' It would've been nice to hear something like that, but I guess that's me expecting too much from you."

Tokiya rolled his eyes at the feigned excitement the other spoke with. "At the minimum, I'm glad you realize how ridiculous that would be. Can we discuss a program for the entry competition?"

Ren laughed and shook his head. "I love the enthusiasm! Not yet. You aren't ready for one yet. All I got from your little performance was how inexperienced you've become in three years. Seriously Icchi, how did you manage to forget how to captivate the audience? Towards the 'end' of your career, you were getting so much better. I felt like you were actually showing me how much you loved skating. Now, your skating is reminiscent of a teenager who doesn't seem to feel like himself. Like you were only focusing on how to land everything."

Tokiya turned his gaze to the ice as he kicked it with his right skate. He mumbled a response, leaving Ren curious of what he said.

"Have something to say, Icchi?" The ginger pushed forward a bit and leaned his ear towards the other.

"You aren't half wrong..." An embarrassed frown crossed the blunet. His words were colored in dissatisfaction, remembering how Ren was able to easily read him.

"Of course I'm not wrong. Tokiya," the use of his first name made the younger male look up from the ice, "the beauty of your skating is how easily you show your emotions. You've become easier to read since you started figure skating under my direction. That's not a bad thing at all. You should be proud that you're able to do something so easily in comparison to some professionals out there. Remember the evaluation of some of the skaters who are going to be in this competition as well? They aren't so good at that compared to you. Show them that." Ren glided to where he stood positioned and skidded to a stop in front of him.

"Thank you. I will try my best to fix my errors." Tokiya nodded again. This only made Ren chuckle, much to his confusion.

"You say that with even less emotion than your skating." The ginger continued to laugh, which only embarrassed the blunet further.

"Well what do you want me to say then? I'm not saying that other crap you said earlier."

"A simple 'Thank you' and 'Help me get back' would've been better, but once again, I didn't expect anything more. Ah, I miss your stiffness." Ren let a foolish grin grace his face.

"I'm not sure I miss all your teasing. Please, let's just pay attention to correcting my skating." Tokiya pushed himself away from the ginger, cheeks tinted pink in annoyance and embarrassment.

Ren only turned to watch him skate back to the boards where he left a towel. "Alright, alright. Have a small break then we'll get back to the basics."

.

. . .

.

It was about eight at night, and Tokiya threw himself down on the bed in Syo's dorm with exhaustion.

"Dude, just go back to your room and sleep if it was that hard today. I can't imagine how tired you are."

Tokiya put a hand across his forehead as he stared at the ceiling, going over all that Ren and Masato had him do every day. "You have no idea. I chose this, though. I'll get back into the swing of things eventually, but for right now, it only feels like torture."

Syo laughed a bit and turned towards him in the swivel chair he sat in at his desk. The blond had been doing homework for a class he had the next day when Tokiya came in and threw his stuff down like he lived in the room. "Seriously, just go back to your room and sleep then. Natsuki is going to be back soon, and you're not going to want to listen to him after the past few days you've been through. Trust me."

Tokiya groaned in irritation and sat up on the bed. He pushed back his disheveled hair and blinked back the fatigue he felt. "I'll leave in a few minutes. Did Otoya say anything about me?"

"Oh yeah."Syo put his pencil down and shut his laptop. "He couldn't stop asking questions about what happened to you. When I explained everything to him, he was a bit sad but glad that you're coming back. He then continued to gush about how he would get the opportunity to skate against you. Ugh, it got really annoying."

Tokiya seemed lost in thought. He forgot to tell the redhead he wouldn't be helping him anymore. He felt bad about it, but everything happened so fast that he didn't have time to really explain to anyone.

"Don't worry. Otoya didn't take it too offensively. In fact, he was really happy that you started again practically because he asked you to help him."

Tokiya shook his head and stood up, stretching his arms out above his head. "That's a relief at least. I'd rather him be like that than anything else. I'm going to head in for the night. Thanks, Syo." The blunet picked up his bag and made his way for the door.

"No problem. Hey, when this is over, we're hanging out. You owe me. Besides, something tells me we won't be able to until this whole thing is over. Whether you win or not. Now get out." Syo smirked and shooed his friend out.

Tokiya gave him half a smile and waved back in return. "Bye."

.

. . .

.

"Nice! So you haven't lost your ability to push yourself through all those jumps. Your stamina is still pretty strong. We'll stop here for today." Ren pushed his skates towards the back boards where a speaker was placed.

Tokiya was going to protest the end of practice but was silenced with the ginger's next words.

"I have one last thing to show you." He picked up the remote to the speaker and pushed play on it. "I picked out your music."

Tokiya moved from where he sat behind the boards to standing up against them. Curiosity overcame him as he leaned forward to listen to the piece.

"It's Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op. 23 No. 4 in D Major. As you listen to it, think about what it makes you feel. What emotions surface when it reaches the first variation? What about when it hits the second? Or the third? What does the climax sound like to you?" Ren crossed his arms and observed Tokiya.

Tokiya closed his eyes as the lonely sound of the piano enveloped him. The notes played brought back memories. Memories he would like to forget, and others he would hold onto forever. "It seems lonesome. Sad. Like someone who has lost their purpose in life."

Ren nodded his head and continued to watch as the blunet furrowed his brows in concentration.

"It's like the person keeps asking questions, yet they can't find the answers." They were at the middle of the song by now.

"The way the music bends almost seems like the person is starting to grasp onto something."

"Good. Good." Ren tucked a loose strand behind his left ear. His bright blue eyes alit with something akin to proud of the other.

"Now, it seems they lost their grip once more. Everything is beginning to crumble before them. Only this time, they've learned to accept it. To move past whatever happened and keep searching for answers." The music had begun to reach its end. "They've given up. Believing they aren't going to find the answers they seek anymore. Not entirely hopeless, though."

Ren stopped the music and clapped. "Bravo. Can you take a guess why I chose this piece?"

Tokiya slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the boards he leaned on, tracing his index finger along the top of it. He knew why Ren had chosen the piece. It felt almost too relatable to how he felt a mere week ago. Lost and constantly trying to get answers he wasn't sure he wanted himself. "Yes, I do."

Ren skated over to where Tokiya was at the boards and leaned on them next to him. "Icchi, I believe this piece is exactly what you need to captivate everyone, to bring out raw emotions inside of you. I chose this piece solely because of its meaning. Are you ready to see the routine paired with it?"

The blunet turned to Ren slowly, his bangs falling into his eyes. "Yes."

"Good. Now watch closely." He continued to speak as he pushed himself into a starting position. "We'll start working on it within the next week, so be ready. For now, I'll just show you the premise of the program."

Tokiya narrowed his ocean blue eyes in concentration as the ginger pushed himself against the ice. His eyes widened gradually as Ren seemed to float along the ice to the music. He couldn't look away for even a second as the ginger seemed to show him he was in desperate need for someone or something, anything to bring him back to how he used to be. With a loud scrape against the ice, Ren turned into a pose to end the program he had created especially for the other. The blunet was left speechless once the music left the air and his coach slowly glided out of position.

"That's the essence of the program. I may change it according to how you move in it, but we'll see when we get to it. I assume you like it?" It only took one look at the other to understand what he was thinking. Of course he knew what the music meant, but for everyone it was different. He tried to come up with a routine in accordance to what Tokiya went through in the past and bring it to the ice. Unfortunately, the routine still felt off to him, so he thought of a few ideas to help figure it out.

"I do. It's stunning." Tokiya was enthralled to finally work on a program created just for him again. Working endlessly and throwing your emotions into what you do was exhausting, but it was always worth it in the end. This time, the stakes were higher than before with more on the line than the last time Ren had designed one for him.

"I'm glad you think so, but as I said before we're not working on it quite yet. Since I don't quite understand why you left so suddenly from the figure skating world and what this music means to you, we'll be spending more time together. I want you to completely open up to me. Talk about everything you've done since we last talked. Don't hold back." Tokiya stood up straight as Ren skated to him and leaned forward. "Don't be afraid to tell me everything. I will listen wholeheartedly."

Tokiya shuffled uncomfortably back a step, unsure of what to say back. He opened his mouth to talk, but nothing came out. Ren stared at him, waiting patiently before smiling and backing up a bit as well.

"I think that's enough for one day. Practice is dismissed. Feel free to talk to me whenever." He walked past Tokiya towards the locker room leaving him to think on his own.

Tokiya was frozen in place thinking back on what Ren said. If he told the other, he would feel vulnerable, and he didn't like that at all. Besides vulnerability, it was embarrassing and almost seemed ridiculous. Ren would surely laugh at whatever he would say. He knew it. With a dejected sigh, he sat back down and began to untie his laces. Before he could fully untie them, he instead fixed them and put his earbuds in. He didn't feel like heading back to his dorm room yet, and he especially didn't feel like talking to anyone.

Ren walked back into the arena to tell the blunet one last thing when he saw him skating across the ice with his eyes closed. He leaned against the door frame of the locker room for a moment, observing the skater, before deciding to leave him be. Ren told himself he would wait when he was ready to talk. They were running a bit low on time, but he trusted Tokiya to get the job done when it came time. He always could. Ren resigned himself to leaving shortly after. He picked up his skates and headed out towards the entrance of the rink.

.

. . .

.

Otoya had been skating for almost the entire day. His coach had taught him his program not too long ago, but he was running through it at the university's rink for the sake of practice. That was when a face he hadn't seem for awhile walked in.

"Tokiya!" The redhead pushed as fast as he could against the ice to the boards. Tokiya stopped dead in his tracks upon entering the small arena.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't realize you were practicing. I should've known. I'll be taking my leave-" Before he turned to walk back out and possibly go to the other rink his coach found, Otoya began to flail his arms around.

"No no no no no! It's okay! I've been here for too long. You can skate instead!" He smiled brightly at the blunet, hoping he would stay.

"It would be a bother. Besides, I know of somewhere else to go-" Tokiya looked at Otoya and frowned. The newer skater's eyes seemed to get bigger and plead him to stay. With a loud sigh, Tokiya began to walk down the steps to the ice. "If it's alright with you, then I guess I will stay."

"Yay! It's not a bother at all! Don't worry!" Otoya happily leaned against the boards as Tokiya sat down and began to lace his skates. "Ne, Tokiya? I heard a little from Syo why you've been gone, but he refused to tell me a lot. You're starting to skate seriously again?" His ruby eyes were filled with curiosity. Locks the same color as his eyes moved as he tilted his head to the side.

"He told me you asked. Yes, I am. We may see each other soon." Tokiya tied the laces into a knot once more to ensure they were tight and stood up.

Curiosity changed to excitement at the news. "Really?! Syo told me that, but he said he wasn't sure if anything was happening or not. Now that you told me that, then it has to be true! There was an article about you in the paper two days ago saying you were going to skate competitively again! They even said you were going to try for the 4CC! Is it true?!"

Tokiya stopped walking towards the ice and turned to gaze directly into his red eyes. "You said that was in the newspaper two days ago?" The only ones who knew about what was going on was Syo, Masato, Ren, and the members of the 4CC committee. Even the 4CC committee wouldn't talk about the contestants until it was a week or a few days before the competition. They never released the lineup any earlier. So who told the papers?

"Yep! To be on the same team as you would be incredible! We could practice together and everything!"

As the other continued to talk about what the experience would be, Tokiya brought a hand to his chin contemplating on who would've spoken about his comeback. Ren was always one for attention, so maybe it was him. Then again, Syo did ask how he was going to tell everyone, so he couldn't leave his friend out of the equation.

"Tokiya?" Said male snapped out of his reverie and looked back at Otoya.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" Otoya grinned sheepishly and shook his head in response. Tokiya felt bad for ignoring him but shook it off. He brushed past the redhead and connected his skates to the ice for what felt like the hundredth time that week. Since all the lessons with Ren and Masato had begun, he had become much more graceful on the ice again. Every push and glide was more fluid than before. It was as if he had become a part of the cold ground again. He realized he missed that feeling.

Otoya stepped off the ice and watched as Tokiya glided across it beautifully. He stayed for a few minutes beginning to head out. Before he could leave, Tokiya spoke from the ice unexpectedly.

"Otoya, how are you so open to everyone?"

"Huh?" Otoya gazed at him with confusion, unsure of how to actually explain it. "I guess I'm just used to sharing everything. Why?"

Tokiya paused before returning to skate again. "No reason."

The redhead shrugged and walked away, left wondering what he meant by his question.

.

. . .

.

"How did you sleep last night? Good I hope."

"Why do you care?"

"Still as cold as ever. Why wouldn't I care about a student of mine?" Ren feigned tears and leaned against the boards as Tokiya stepped onto the ice.

"Because usually you wouldn't ask. When can I start practicing the program?" Tokiya waiting as the other placed a hand on his chin.

"How about instead of practicing, we just talk today instead?"

Tokiya stared at him dumbfounded. "The program was perfect. I don't understand why you won't let me try it even once."

Ren sighed and crossed his arms. "Icchi, any true professional can make any program look perfect after practice. That program was far from it for many reasons. Remember what I told you yesterday?"

"You said you wanted me to completely open up to you and talk about everything I've done since we last talked I believe." He impatiently tapped his index finger against his leg.

"Exactly, so let's do that now." Ren threw himself upwards, so he was sitting on top of the boards. He put his elbows on his knees while his hands cupped his own face. "What were you thinking when you injured yourself during your program three years ago at the 4CC?"

Once again hesitant, Tokiya slowly skated closer to where Ren was at the boards and awkwardly shifted on the ice. "I could only think about how angry it made me that I fell. That if I had practiced harder, it wouldn't have happened. I also thought about how I let you, Hijirikawa, and everyone watching down. I was disheartened, you could say."

Ren nodded and studied his student's downcast face as he spoke. He remembered watching from the sidelines as he fell. It was bad to watch, but he bet it was worse to feel. "Is that the reason why you stopped skating?"

"Not entirely because of just that... I just..." The skater paused, not really wanting to talk about how he felt at that time. "Can we stop talking now? We have less than a month until the entry competition, and I need to practice as much as I can." He held onto his left arm with his right, his gaze still on the blades he wore.

"Just one more question: If you love skating so much, why did you hurt yourself by leaving?" Ren managed to get Tokiya to glance up at him. An expression he couldn't quite distinguish appeared on the blunet's face.

"I had to. The injury was bad and... I just had to." Ren's eyes softened with sadness towards him.

"Why didn't you let us help you? With physical therapy, you could've come back to skate much sooner. Then you wouldn't-"

"What happened has happened. It doesn't matter anymore. I've grown from what happened. It will never happen again." Tokiya clenched his fists as his gaze hardened.

Ren smiled softly at him and lightly shook his head. "It does matter. Icchi, use this as the backbone for your program. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Although you may have already noticed, that's why I went with a piece by Rachmaninoff. Show me that you've grown through this then I will believe what you've said to me. Show everyone your vulnerability. You can't predict what will happen or not, but you can most definitely push past it or make the best of it."

Tokiya steadily opened his fists and listened to his every word. He knew Ren was right. It was just a matter of opening himself to that degree. "I can try..."

"Yes, you can. I know you can."Proudly, the ginger slid off the top of the barrier and put a hand on his shoulder. "I have a few new ideas for the program I came up with last night and today. Watch every movement and use your feelings to analyze it. Imagine yourself skating it and then tell me what you think of it. Don't look from a judge or critic's point of view." He pulled his orange locks back into a ponytail and glided to the center as Tokiya stepped off the ice.

Ren motioned for him to start the music, and with a flourish, he glided into it.

His eyes widened at the new version of the program. It felt right. "Perfect..."

.

. . .

.

"Have you started your programs yet?" Masato adjusted Tokiya's arms as he stood in releve.

The other seemed to sigh in reply, but smiled nonetheless. It had been eight days since Ren had showed him the program, and they had yet to start working on it for real. Instead, his coach had made it his job to ask as many questions as possible during breaks and when he practiced the basics. He honestly didn't think he was ever going to learn it and that Ren had made it up that he could be entered until he was promised that today would be the day they worked on it. Tokiya couldn't be more nervous and excited all at once. This is what he missed the most from leaving, and now he finally got to do it again. "Today we're going to start."

Masato looked at him incredulously before responding. "Does that idiot realize there are exactly 21 days until the competition? Will you be alright?" He let go of the other and crossed his arms. He realized he should've expected this from Jinguji, but it was still annoying. If Tokiya failed, it would be all his fault. They were doing the best they could do, yet Ren seemed to take this entry as a joke. It was truly agitating. "Remind him how much time is left. You still have to go to college classes, so it's not as if you can spend the next three weeks only skating. I swear I will hurt him if you aren't ready."

The skater relaxed his position and stretched his arms out. "You don't have to worry, Hijirikawa. Everything will be taken care of. I plan on putting my all into these performances. Just wait until the competition. I don't want you to see it until then."

"If you say so... then I'll take your word for it. What has he been doing that this is taking so long, though? He was always late giving you the routines, but he at least gave you a decent amount of time."

"Jinguji deemed me not ready for it yet. He said something about making sure I was emotionally prepared for it. Three weeks will be more than enough time."

"I'm holding him responsible for this. Work on Grand Tour Jetes across the floor. I don't care if he's slacking off with what he should be doing on his part of your training because I won't be. The more powerful your steps are here, the more prominent of a skater you will be. Now go."

Tokiya nodded and did as he said, leaping across the studio with grace. Masato stood at his position in front of the mirror, watching his every move. He was not going to disappoint on his end. "He better pull through."

.

. . .

.

The next morning, Masato had given him the morning off, so Tokiya could actually attend a class. The blunet was practically falling asleep in his seat due to working on the program until late last night. Syo had walked in and couldn't help noticing the exhaustion the other so clearly felt.

"Up too late partying?" Syo grinned at him and put his bag down next to his own seat. "Most kids choose not to come to classes when they're suffering a hangover. You might want to do that as well." He snickered as the blunet gave him a death stare.

"So funny. I forgot to laugh." That only made Syo lose it and begin to laugh hysterically. "I was up working on my program. I didn't get back to my room until eleven I think. I wasn't really paying attention to the time."

"Jeez, that late? Is your coach crazy? Seriously, go back to your room and rest. I'll just give you the notes like I always end up doing." The blond sat down and put his arm against the desk he sat at.

"I decided to stay until that late. Jinguji ended practice at eight like usual, but I thought it working just a bit longer would be alright. Before I knew it, it had gotten late. I'll be fine, besides this is the only class I'm going to. I have practice right after this."

Syo only shook his head at his friend. "I'm not pushing your wheelchair when your legs fall off." Tokiya rolled his eyes and was about to retort when Otoya came bounding up to them.

"Hey! How're your programs coming along, Tokiya?! I bet they're great!"

"I suppose so."

"Can you practice it for me? I'm already on the team, so I won't be competing. I really want to see at least one, though!"

"Ah, I just started them, so they need a lot of work. You'll have to wait."

Otoya pouted and sat down in his seat in front of the blunet. Syo, who had been holding in laughter, silently mocked the reaction the redhead had upon seeing Tokiya, much to Tokiya's dismay. The professional skater rolled his eyes and took out a notebook as the teacher entered. Syo mouthed you're no fun to him and turned to face the board.

.

. . .

.

"Now that you almost have the main program down to a tee, I think it's about time to mention that your costume arrived yesterday. Next week is the competition, so I figured we would run through a few dress rehearsals." Ren leaned over the boards and lifted up a rectangular black box.

Intrigued, the other skated over to the ginger to see what he had in store.

"I designed it with the thought of how intricate the piece is on top of the variety of moves and combinations you'll be performing." He pulled the lid of the box and set it on top of the boards. Carefully, Ren lifted the fabric out of the box and held it out in front of himself. It was all one piece. The bottom half was black, while top half looked as though someone had painted streaks of grey, purple, and white across it. The colors were more spread out at his shoulders, as if disappearing before reappearing in waves at the forearms and wrists. Small crystals lined the outside of the different colors while some were scattered within, even deviating from the pattern to create delicate lines of their own. Mesh that matches his skin-tone was set in areas where his neckline and arms would be. "Well, what do you think? I tried to make sure it was simplistic yet spoke volumes."

"I like it." Tokiya glided forward and took the fabric between his gloved hands. "My sizes have changed since the last time you ordered a costume for me, so how will you know this will fit me?" Ocean eyes flitted up from the costume to gaze at piercing blue orbs.

Ren winked and held a finger up to his own lips. "It's a secret. A special ability of mine, you could say." This gained him a raised eyebrow in confusion from the other, to which he only chuckled at. "Don't worry about it. Just know it's been taken care of."

"I'm still curious how-"

"Forget it and go change. We can't be holding up practice any longer." Ren put his hands on his hips and waited for Tokiya to leave the ice with the costume in hand. "He's too much sometimes."

A few minutes later, Tokiya had come back out onto the ice. This time, he wore the skintight costume instead of his usual black warm-up attire. Ren whistled as the skater glided around the rink, the crystals reflecting light all around the small arena and ice.

"Not bad at all, Icchi. Told you I had it covered. Come here. Before you start running through your routine, I just want to see how it looks without you moving. If this costume doesn't work, there are two other designs I had made just in case. I think I prefer this one over the others, though." As Tokiya skid to a stop in front of his coach, Ren began to skate around him. "Fits perfectly, too." He stopped in front of the blunet and gave him a thumbs up. "How does it feel?"

"Perfect. There's nothing wrong with it."

"Great. Run through the program I created just to be sure. It has to be able to withstand your performance."

Tokiya made his way into his first position and started as soon as Ren pressed play on the speakers.

"No one will outshine you as long as you continue to perform like this, Icchi." The words were spoken to himself, so as not to distract his student. Tokiya would come out on top. He knew he would.

.

. . .

.

"What time are you leaving?" Syo leaned against the doorway of Tokiya's single dorm, watching as he rummaged through his closet and drawers for anything of importance.

"Whenever he gets here, which should be any minute now." Tokiya was packing for Tokyo, where the entry competition was to be held. The competition was in three days, and Ren had gotten the plane tickets with hopes of arriving ahead of schedule for extra practice time. The earlier they arrived, the more time that there would be for practice. "He better not be late." He folded a few more practice shirts and pairs of joggers before throwing his skates on top and closing the luggage.

"Hey, good luck. I wish I could go, but unlike you, I don't have a real excuse to skip classes."

Tokiya shook his head, stood up, and pushed past Syo to start packing items away from his bathroom. "Thank you."

"Well, if it isn't Ochibi-chan. Long time no see." Ren came from down the hallway and stood between the door frame to the blunet's dorm room.

Syo angrily turned around and waved a fist at him. "Don't test me, you obnoxious jerk!"

Tokiya paid no mind to the banter, but instead went through his checklist to make sure he had everything.

"Ready to go, Icchi? We have a schedule to follow today." Ren walked into the small space and stood next to the skater, who folded the list he held and tucked it away in his pocket.

"I believe so. It's different to see you worry about being on time for once." He picked up his suitcase and turned to the ginger.

"What can I say? I care when it counts, which is now. Time to move out. Our flight is in three hours." Ren pointed to the gold watch around his wrist for exaggeration.

"Yes, yes. I know. I'll be back by the end of next week at the latest, Syo. Remember not to slack off."

Syo placed himself in front of the other and lightly punched his chest. "Come back with good news. Alright?"

He nodded and returned the gesture with a light smile. "Of course. Expect nothing less." Syo gave him a thumbs up and watched as he and Ren made their way down the hallway and towards the entrance of the dorms.

"Nervous much? You seem on-edge at the moment." Ren's eyes flitted from the road to the blunet beside him who leaned back into the leather seat in his car.

"Of course I'm on-edge. I know I've been practicing a lot and know all the routines by heart, but I guess everything is finally starting to sink in. Honestly, I am very nervous." He pulled back his navy bangs and gazed out the passenger window, watching as the scenery passed by in a blur.

"Good. You should be nervous. I would think you weren't human if you said otherwise to me." The ginger chuckled and turned back to the road fully. "We'll be there in a few minutes. Try to relax until then."

"Sure.

.

. . .

.

Almost two hours later, both were seated on the nonstop flight to the Hiroshima Airport and were ready for take-off. Ren pulled out his schedule for the next few days to look it over once more as Tokiya took out a tablet and a pair of earbuds. Curiously, Ren watched him type in the name of one of the competitors he was soon to meet into the search bar. The ginger pulled out his left earbud and leaned in to watch the performance as well.

"Studying up on the competition?"

Tokiya nodded, not shifting his eyes away from the screen for a second.

As he looked on, he began to recognize which program the other had picked. "This is Mikaze's performance from the Japan Open last year, isn't it? Everyone said it was his best." Tokiya's eyes narrowed as he looked on to the flawless routine.

"He'll be tough to beat."

"He may be, but I think you can do it. I'm not saying that as your coach either."

Tokiya pressed the search bar once more and typed in the name of Reiji Kotobuki. Ren frowned at the name and reached over to delete the words before Tokiya could click on one of the results. The other looked at him in confusion from his actions.

"I don't want you watching him skate. It's unconventional and not something I want you thinking about."

The skater didn't press for details but instead looked up the other competitors. The rest of the flight went that same way with the two of them discussing and watching the videos of previous competitions. At one point, they decided to keep to themselves, doing whatever they wanted silently. Tokiya was listening to the music for his programs when Ren realized he had fallen asleep. He smiled and carefully paused the music he was listening to before settling into his own seat, soon falling asleep as well.

After the quite relaxing flight down, Tokiya wasn't expecting the crazy amount of reporters waiting at the terminal they were coming from. Ren, who noticed the distress on his face, made sure to block the reporters's views of him by standing in the way. He smiled and waved instead as they made their way through the crowd and out of the airport.

"Sorry about that. I should've expected something like that to happen." Ren chuckled as Tokiya threw his bag into the trunk of the taxi.

"I forgot about it as well. It's not entirely your fault." Ren did the same and opened the door for the other before hopping into the taxi right after.

"Take us to the Sheraton Grand Hiroshima please. We'll just have to be more aware of this from now on. Besides, not only is this a pretty important competition, you're also a retired pro making your debut once more. Of course they would hear of it and want to see you for themselves."

The taxi driver plugged the address into the GPS and drove away from the airport and towards their destination. Tokiya only sighed in response.

"I get that. I didn't think they would follow all the least competitors, though. With Mikaze, Kotobuki, and Kurosaki coming, I thought the attention would be on only them."

"You don't give yourself enough credit. You're career was amazing. No one would forget you over a small incident. Besides, that story never truly stopped gaining attention. Last year it began to fade, but it didn't quite disappear. Even then people still talked about your performances, Icchi."

"I wasn't looking for comfort." He stifled a yawn with his hand and leaned against the door, exhausted from the trip so far.

"I'm only saying you shouldn't sell yourself short. That's all."

Tokiya muttered something under his breath, and the other didn't bother asking what.

Once they arrived at the hotel and checked in, Ren gave Tokiya one of the keys for their room, keeping the other for himself.

"You can head to the room if you want because I have to take care of a few things and won't be up until later. Try to stay away from reporters if you can. Make your routine your answer to their questions rather than talking about it." Ren winked and handed the bellboy their luggage."

"I have a few places in mind that I would like to visit, so I may not go to the room until later as well."

"Don't be out too late. We have to wake up early for our time to practice. Due to the amount of competitors, I had to book practice times as soon as they let us do so. We have two times tomorrow. One is at six a.m. and the other practice is at three p.m. Everyone is allowed up to two hours until it's then the next competitors turn to rehearse." Ren checked his watch and continued to speak. "Get to bed around nine-thirty p.m. You'll need to sleep as much as possible the next few days. If you would like, we can meet up for dinner at six-thirty or seven p.m. That gives me and you two hours to do as we like. Keep track of the time. I know you tend to do so anyway, but I just want you to make sure."

"Understood." Tokiya shook his head once as a yes and turned to the exit of the hotel.

"Have fun, Icchi!" Ren waved at the other and walked in the opposite direction while whistling.

.

. . .

.

Tokiya walked along the sidewalk with a map in hand. He wanted to walk rather than take a taxi but instantly regretted his idea. It was cold out and the walk was longer than he thought it would be. Thirty-three minutes later, and he finally made it to where he wanted to be. The Hiroshima Sports Complex, or the ice rink where the entry competition and practices were to be held. Tucking the map away into his jacket pocket and blowing on his hands to keep them somewhat warm, he walked into the stadium. Deciding to take a look at the practice rinks, the blunet asked a staff member where they were. Once he verified who he was to the person, he soon made his way based off the directions he received. Tokiya wasn't expecting anyone to be in there, but to his surprise, he could hear the scrape of skates on ice from outside the door. As he entered the quaint space, a brunet seemed to be the source of the noise. He watched simply out of curiosity for a moment before turning around and reaching for the handle.

"If your goal was to spy on me, then you need to work on how you do it."

Tokiya froze in place and spun around to find the brunet hanging against the boards.

"I apologize. I hadn't meant to watch. I only wanted to check everything out. I haven't been here in awhile, and it turns out they redid it a bit. I'll just be on my way now. Excuse me." Tokiya spun back around and reached for the handle once more.

The brunet laughed loudly. "Is that so? You must be Tokiya Ichinose. I've heard all about you." He stepped off the ice and put his skate-guards on. "How's your leg? From what I've heard, you injured it pretty badly. I bet it must've really sucked. I mean, an injury like that to a figure skater is the most frustrating thing that could ever happen." He made his way to where Tokiya stood. "I'm Reiji Kotobuki, in case you didn't know."

"Yes... it was quite aggravating, but it has healed properly. It's been a pleasure to meet you, Kotobuki. Once more, I apologize for interrupting your practice time." He tried to pull open the door, but Reiji reached over and shut it.

"No need to be so stiff. Call me Rei-chan! Obviously I know you're fine now. You wouldn't be here otherwise! Let's talk for a bit. My choreography is perfect anyways. I don't need to practice something that I know like the back of my own hand! When I heard they added your name to the list of hopefuls who wanted the spot on the team, I was surprised. You went from being left behind to all of a sudden being everywhere at once! It's crazy! Not that it matters because in three days from now when the competition starts up, I'll crush your odds of both being on the team and re-establishing your career." Reiji leaned in, a smile that seemed innocent felt threatening to the blunet.

"I was surprised as well. I can't wait to compete against you then. I wish you the best of luck." Tokiya bowed his head slightly and left the brunet alone in the space.

"He's just as they say he is. This should be interesting." Reiji smirked and walked back to the ice to practice for a while longer.

.

. . .

.

"Why are you so dressed up?"

"I was talking with important people and needed to be dressed appropriately. Why do you look like you just finished running a marathon?" Ren adjusted the jacket to the suit he wore and looked over at Tokiya, who was slightly out of breath.

"I was at the arena looking around for a bit and may have miscalculated how long it would take to get there and back." Tokiya tried to somewhat fix his appearance.

"You were at the arena? We're going there in the morning, so why'd you bother?" He quirked an eyebrow at the blunet as they made their way to the restaurant located inside the hotel.

"I met Reiji Kotobuki." Tokiya glanced at Ren, who gazed back at him with surprise.

"Hold on a second." He held up a finger and turned to the hostess at the entrance of the restaurant. "Table for two, please." Ren flashed the hostess a smile to which she returned with a faint blush. She grabbed two menus and lead them to a table towards the back of the restaurant. The hostess bowed and left them to make their decisions.

"How did you meet him? What did he say?" Ren sat down and leaned forward on the table, ready to listen intently to what the other would say.

Tokiya sat down and grimaced at his coach's nearness. "I walked in on him practicing. He mentioned how he was surprised to hear about me again. Kotobuki also didn't fail to tell me how he would love to crush me early on." Tokiya looked disinterested as he picked up the menu and began to read the food options.

"And? Don't tell me you just took that from him. What did you say?" Ren reached over the table and lowered the menu Tokiya held, impatient to get an answer.

"I only told him I couldn't wait to compete against him and then I wished him the best of luck."

Ren stared at him completely unimpressed. "That's it?"

"That's all I needed to say. I'm not starting a fight with a well-known skater. It would be childish to do so." Tokiya picked up the menu once more, while Ren rolled his eyes, soon following his lead. "So which important people did you talk to?"

"All of the coaches for this event were called to meet with the officials. It was really boring. The leading judges Tsukimiya and Hyuga kept yelling at everyone. I felt like nothing got accomplished by the end." He sighed and placed is drink order along with Tokiya once the waiter came around.

"And how many times were you yelled at?" Tokiya peeked over his menu to raise an eyebrow at his coach.

"Once. I tried to say something in answer to someone else's rant, but I got cut off by Hyuga, who said how I was only instigating trouble."

"I believe it."

"I feel so betrayed, Icchi."

"You can be difficult to deal with."

Ren pretended to cry as the waiter dropped off their drinks. The waiter was very confused with what was going on but refused to say anything, scared of the reply he would get.

"Are my practices the only times you're ever serious?"

"That's when it counts." Ren winked and picked up his wine glass.

"You're ridiculous."

"And you're boring. Let's move on to important matters. The reason the meeting was held was to announce something big. Instead of two, the Japanese representatives in the 4CC Committee decided to choose only one more competitor."

"Well, that complicates things." Tokiya took a sip of his champagne after he had put his menu down.

"A lot. You'll need to perform the best you've ever done the next few days. I don't like putting this kind of pressure on you, but unfortunately, the situation calls for it. Our practices are going to be tougher. I would like to use the two hours to the fullest. As you know, Day 1 is the short skate program. You've been working on it extensively, so you should be fine. Day 2 is the day of the free skate program. This is the program that'll give you the most amount of points. Not only that, but the program is longer as well. There are more technical moves in it, but from what I've seen from you, I'm not too worried. Just try to stay out of your head. When you do that, you tend to focus on only how to land everything rather than the appearance. Remember, performance gives you just as many points as the technical aspect does. You can do this. I've been saying that since you started skating again because I believe it."

"Only one... Did they say why they wanted just one instead of two more?" Tokiya stared at the champagne in his glass before meeting Ren's icy eyes.

"They said they felt confident with the skaters in the league this year. I agree, but it's unnerving. I wish they would just stick with three on the team, but that's their decision not ours. Whatever happens happens. Just do the best you can. That's all I ask of you."

They spent the rest of the time eating and discussing strategies for the competition in three days. Both knew of the stakes and what they had to do, but neither of them dared to speak it out loud. The fact that Tokiya's second and last debut would be destroyed was pushed to the backs of their minds.

.

. . .

.

It was almost eleven at night, and Tokiya couldn't seem to fall asleep. After dinner, he had to help Ren up to their room since he had a little too much to drink. Against his wishes, his coach had booked them a two-bedroom suite. Ren said he didn't want them to be so separated from each other.

Tokiya got out of his own bed and stumbled around in the dark for a moment trying to find the fridge. Ren was sound asleep in his room like he had hoped. The ginger would have his head if he found out the skater was still awake. He grabbed a water and headed back to his own bed. He was just flipping through his phone when he recalled his conversation with Reiji. The blunet soon found himself on YouTube searching for videos related to the skater he talked to earlier. After searching for a few moments, Tokiya found Reiji's winning program designed for the National Tournament. It earned him second place behind a skater named Camus. While watching the performance, he had come to realize why Ren had said it was unconventional. It really was. He allowed himself to stay up a bit longer before heading to sleep. There was going to be a lot of work in the morning.

.

. . .

.

"Hmm... what time did you sleep last night? Your movements are sluggish either because you're thinking too much or due to a lack of sleep. It better not be the last one. I already warned you about getting enough rest."

It was eleven minutes past six in the morning, and Ren had Tokiya run through his short skating program that would be used in the first day of the competition. They were only eleven minutes into practice, and Ren was already berating him for his skating technique.

"I'm sorry. I may be more nervous than I originally thought I was." Ren wasn't always right, so when he told Tokiya not to watch videos of Reiji's past skating programs, he didn't listen. He had discovered that he was, in fact, right this time. All he could think about was Reiji's past performances and what he might do this time around. His own programs, he thought, were almost underwhelming in comparison. "Is there any chance we could add one more quad to the choreography?"

Ren eyed the skater in suspicion from behind the boards lining the rink. "You watched exactly what I told you not to, didn't you? Everything I tell you as a coach, I tell you with complete seriousness. I do it for your own good. What did I tell you yesterday? I believe in your abilities as a skater. You have to learn to trust my judgement sometimes, Icchi." Ren sighed and brought a hand to his forehead. "I'm not adding a quad to your routine. It's choreographed the way it is because I thought you could bring out the emotion that the routine calls for. Not only that, but I've already passed in the outlines for your programs to the head judges. As long as you stop comparing yourself to other skaters, everything should work out just as we've planned."

Tokiya swiped at the ice on his blades, cleaning the metal free of it. "I understand. Forget I asked." He glided into position and started up his program once more.

Ren shook his head and put his hands on his hips as he watched the routine. "He's too much sometimes. I would like it if he at least tried to listen to me one of these days. And he called me the ridiculous one..."

The next few days were uneventful, save for the early practices and training. Out of the three days meant for rehearsing, he didn't have to wake up early like he had to the other two days, so Ren woke him up at six-thirty in the morning to go for a run and then work out in the gym available to competitors in the Hiroshima Sports Complex. Once it was their turn on the ice, Tokiya quickly showered and ran to the practice rink.

"I've done everything I possibly could've done. What the outcome becomes will depend on how you set everything out on the ice. The list that gives the order of who performs when on the first day was handed to me yesterday after I had sent you to the gym. You are set to skate twenty-third, which is fifth in the fourth block of competitors. That's not bad, but it isn't great either. That was to be expected though, since you haven't skated in three years. The good news is that you'll be skating before Mikaze and Kotobuki. Mikaze is set to skate third in the first block, while Kotobuki is scheduled to skate fifth in the first as well. The bad news is that you're after Kotobuki. Now that you've met him, he's going to try even better than he has. He declared war on you, so he'll be fighting with everything he can by pulling out all the stops. Don't let yourself be controlled by their performances."

"Got it. Anything else I should know before tomorrow?"

"That's about it. Promise me you'll give it your all, though."

"Of course I will. That should go without saying."

.

. . .

.

"Skates, skate guards, and extra laces?"

"Check.

"Competition outfit and your backup?"

"Check."

"Both CDs?"

"Check."

"Gloves, warm-up sweater, sponsored outfit, and blanket?"

"I'm wearing my warm-ups, and a blanket? Why do I need to pack a blanket?" Tokiya took his gloves off the top of his bed and put them in the front pocket of his duffel bag meant for competitions like this. It was thirty minutes past eight in the morning, and the duo were preparing to leave for the deciding 4CC entry competition at the Hiroshima Sports Complex. They had decided to go much earlier than they were supposed to, so they could sign-in ahead of the huge line that would be there later in the day and watch maybe a few practices and some of the competitions in the different categories that were also scheduled.

"For when you're just sitting and watching. I don't want you to be colder than you will be later on. You need to stay as warm as possible today, so pack a blanket. If you didn't bring one, I did in the bottom of my main suitcase. The black one near the closet." Ren was busy packing a briefcase that he would need, as well as the small gift he got for his skater once his short program was over. It was something all coaches did for their skaters, and even though Tokiya had told him multiple times not to do, he did it regardless. Ren waited for him to turn away before he slipped the gift into a small black bag without the other knowing. "Find it?"

"Did you purposely get one with these colors?" Ren had always said the color purple fit him nicely. The blanket Tokiya had pulled out was black, purple, and white.

"I might have." Ren looked over at him and smiled. "Use that one, though. Let's see. What else do you need...? Ah, right. I bought a screwdriver to tighten your skates and just in case something happens." He threw the packaged screwdriver onto Tokiya's bed next to his duffel bag. "Did you pack the skate polish? I want you to use it as much as possible today."

Tokiya got up and folded the blanket nicely before neatly packing it at the bottom of his bag. He then opened the left side pocket and put the screwdriver in. "I already packed that. I took the first-aid kit out of my bag yesterday to check what I needed to buy new and can't remember where I put it. Have you seen it?"

"It's in the bathroom next to the sink. I went through it once I woke up as well." Ren pointed towards the bathroom before putting a few papers into a folder and tucking it in his briefcase.

Tokiya nodded and grabbed the medical kit. After his previous injury during the last 4CC, they both didn't want to risk anything this time around. Once he went through the small kit again, the blunet put it in the main pocket of his bag on top of the blanket.

"I have a camera, so you don't have to worry about that. Put the lanyard on that has your ID hanging from it. You absolutely can't forget that or else you won't be allowed in. I already have my own on. Tell me when you're ready to leave. I'm good whenever you are."

Tokiya grabbed the black lanyard and strung it around his neck. Once he put a few last things in his bag, he ensured every pocket was zipped and picked it up. "I'm ready."

"Time to get you on the official team representing Japan for the 4CC." Ren looked in the mirror one last time, slicked back a few strands that fell out of place, adjusted his suit, and slung his own lanyard around his neck before picking up his own bags. "Let's go. There's a car waiting outside for us."

Tokiya followed his coach out of their shared room and through the hotel exit to then hop into a car that would bring them to the Hiroshima Sports Complex.

.

. . .

.

"Other than the Men's Short Program, there's Ice Dancing, Ladies' Short Program, and Pairs today. I want to see the pairs skating, since there's a pair they say are slated to win this as well as gold in the 4CC. I would like to see them at least once while I can. If you would rather not, that's fine. I figured around eleven we could leave for a restaurant nearby. There's Caffe Ponte, an Italian restaurant, that's fifteen minutes away by car, if you want that. The Men's Short Program begins around 2:30, so we would have enough time to." Ren was talking as Tokiya finished checking himself in.

"You're talking about Haruka Nanami and Cecil Aijima, right? I've heard a lot about them. Their coach won the Europeans back in 2005 and decided to coach them only two years ago." He followed alongside Ren as they made their way further into the stadium. The skater glanced at his watch before looking around themselves. "What are we supposed to do at this time? It's only 9:23 a.m. We have another forty minutes until the pairs start up."

"Let's go find good seats then."

The two left for the main floor of the stadium, where they found hundreds of people sitting around the rink already. Ren let out a low whistle upon seeing the crowd.

"We probably should've came earlier. I didn't realize this big of a crowd would be here." Ren gazed over at Tokiya to find his ocean blue eyes wide as he stared at the audience and couldn't help but grin at him. "Not to worry, Icchi. You've conquered bigger stages than this." He put his right hand on the other's back and guided him through the gateway leading to the seats.

"I'm not nervous. I'm... happy."

Ren stopped and looked back at Tokiya to find him smiling in the slightest. Seeing him smiling, made the ginger smile as well. "Perfect. Hang on to that feeling."

Soon the duo managed to find seats a few rows back from the front near the ice and talked about anything to keep their minds momentarily off of his own competition that would start later. Once an hour had passed, an announcer reported the start of the Pairs competition. As it began to start, pairs came out one at a time to perform their program, while the audience erupted whenever a pair they liked came on, completed a flip, lift or spin, or finished their program. As the respected pair of Haruka and Cecil made their way onto the ice, the crowd roared in excitement. Ren and Tokiya watched on carefully, observing every technique the pair attempted with a critic's eye. It was just after twelve when the Pairs qualifying round ended and the Zamboni came out to resurface the ice for the Men's Short Program that would began in just two hours. While some stayed at the stadium to find something to eat, within thirty minutes Ren and Tokiya had made their way to Caffe Ponte and were seated at a table in the center of the restaurant.

"I think they'll make it to the podium in the 4CC, but I don't want to jinx it. As we both know, the 4CC is filled with incredible skaters."

"I still wouldn't put it past them to win gold or silver. They were quite incredible." Tokiya brought his fork to his lips, taking a bit of the meal he ordered. Ren followed his lead and swallowed before speaking next.

"I wouldn't either. I'm just saying. That's all. Speaking of which, you're next. Now, let's discuss your upcoming performance. As you may remember, you get three to five minutes to skate as you please on the ice with the six other competitors in your block. Use that time wisely. I recommend testing the quadruple Salchow and one of the combination jumps but do what you feel you need to try when the time comes."

Tokiya shook his head yes as he continued to eat his lunch. For the rest of lunch, Ren mostly spoke, talking about what was to come, what they were going to do, and how they were going to spend the limited time they got.

By the time they got back to the complex, Tokiya left to get ready while Ren got set up along the boards with the other coaches. Tokiya met up with Ren around twenty minutes later, his warm-up suit covering the costume he wore underneath. He sat down and picked out his skates, skate polish, and guards. As he began to tie his laces, Ren sat down next to him, placed his bag and briefcase on the ground, and picked up his see-through purple skate guards.

"You'll do great. I know you will."

"You've been saying that for the past month. I feel like you're only saying it to reassure yourself at this point."

Ren chuckled and leaned back against the wall behind the bench. "You may be right about that. I feel like I'm more nervous than you are."

"You're only just figuring that out now?" The blunet raised an eyebrow as Ren handed him skate guards. He quickly snapped them into place and began to polish his skates.

"Very funny. In all seriousness, I want you to go out there and just-"

"Do the best I can. I got it. You've also said that a lot in the past month." A small grin formed at the corners of his mouth and Ren chuckled once more.

"Alright, alright. You can stop mocking me now."

It was then that the announcers came over the stadium speakers once more announcing the start of the Men's Short Program. Ren put his right hand on Tokiya's left shoulder with a grin. It was a form of communication in replacement of words he had already said dozens of times. This was it. The first program Tokiya would perform since the 2013 4CC was to happen soon.

Tokiya and Ren seemed to be in full concentration as the skaters went out first for their practice and then individually to present their programs. After the first two were over, the "flower sweepers" had picked up all the flowers and tokens of appreciation that were thrown from the audience.

Next up was Ai Mikaze, the prodigy of the figure skating world. His program was gentle and caring. The music that accompanied him had a soft tone to it that seemed to climb higher as it hit the middle of his performance. Soon, the steps became more difficult and sporadic, making it hard to turn away from such an eye-catching short program. The cyanet leapt through triple toe loops and axels as if they were child's play. The only thing Tokiya noticed was how emotionless of a performance it was. Ren had been right when he said the prodigious skater was almost lifeless when he skated. It was a bit unnerving to watch. Even though he had watched videos of Mikaze's previous competitions, it was nothing compared to seeing the ice fly in front of him. Once the routine was over, it rained bears and flowers again. The skater greeted the audience with bows and picked up a small bouquet of flowers as he glided off the ice. Tokiya looked at Ren next to himself, who seemed to mouth I know to him. Ai met his gaze from the opposite side of the rink and held onto it for a moment as if studying him in depth. The cyanet made his way to the "Kiss and Cry" to wait for his marks. Ren leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, as he stared intently at the Jumbotron. Tokiya looked up as well, knowing fully well what his marks would look like.

The judges awarded him with an 91.39, which landed him in first place out of the three of them that had gone.

"About what you'd expect. They're really only looking for technicality and execution here. That score will be tough to beat."

Tokiya didn't say anything back to his coach as he continued to watch, hanging on to everything every skater did.

The next skater came up and fell out of his quad toe loop. His program only gave him a 77.64, which got him seventh place. The skater looked beyond frustrated, and even after a few words from his coach, his mood didn't seem to improve.

Now it was Reiji's turn. Tokiya took a deep breath and the music started. Almost immediately, Reiji began to fly across the ice. It wasn't uncommon, but it was definitely rare to see a skater throw themselves right into their program. He wasted no time to skate into an approach that led to a quad-toe-loop-triple-axel combination. It was incredible to watch, not that the blunet wanted to admit it. As the program continued, the footwork only seemed to get harder until Reiji hit the end of his performance. That was when he threw himself into a quad Salchow. Fortunately for the blunet, he threw a hand down on the ice to help steady himself, which was a half point deduction. If Tokiya was luckier, it wouldn't be counted as a full quad depending on if he had turned completely or not. It was up to the judges. Soon, Reiji's program was over, and he began to take his bows.

"There will be a few deductions. Don't worry." Ren leaned in towards Tokiya and whispered those words to him, hoping they would help.

"He's still going to manage a high score."

"It's not going to beat Mikaze, though. I can assure you that."

Oddly enough, Ren was spot on. Reiji was given a 87.98, leaving him with second place behind Ai. Reiji seemed annoyed from where he sat in the "Kiss and Cry" corner, while he held the bear his coach had given him. After a moment he shrugged it off and laughed as he made his way to Mikaze, slapping his back.

Tokiya released a breath he hadn't realized he kept in once the sixth and final skater of the first block pushed himself to the center of the ice to start his program.

"This is why I keep telling you to relax a bit. I know it's tough to watch this, but you're only going to stress yourself out." Ren stood up and stretched his arms out above his head. "I'm going to get a water. Do you want anything?"

Tokiya shook his head, too focused on the sixth skater's program to really say anything. Ren only rolled his eyes and walked away from him, deciding to get him something anyways.

By the time Ren got back, the Zamboni was resurfacing the ice, and Tokiya had begun to run through the movements of his short program from behind the boards. Ren sighed and set a water down on the bench they were previously sitting on. "There's a water there for you when you need it, Icchi."

"Thanks." The blunet kept running through his program as he muttered the gratitude quickly.

.

. . .

.

It was ten minutes past four in the afternoon, and the Zamboni was almost done fixing the ice after the third block. So far, between every block, Tokiya was either running through his program or going through a few exercises. Once the Zamboni was off the ice, it would be time for the skaters in the fourth block to practice for five minutes. That included Tokiya.

Ren put a hand on his shoulder, cutting short the blunet's run through. Tokiya took an earbud out of his ear and turned his music off.

"You're up, Icchi."

Tokiya glanced from Ren to the ice to find the Zamboni just leaving the rink. He reached down and took his skate guards off, handing them to his coach. Before he could join the other five skaters on the ice, Ren stopped him once more.

"Let the music guide you. You don't have to hit the gas pedal like some of the other skaters have been doing. Just do what you've been doing."

"I understand." Tokiya slipped away from under Ren's hand and pushed himself onto the ice, steadily at first and then soon glided across it with ease.

Ren stood with his arms crossed as he watched Tokiya go through the smaller spins and then a triple axel. He relaxed a bit more when Tokiya ran through the harder spins and jumps, landing them as they've practiced.

"Great. Just keeping doing what you've been doing, Icchi."

Once the five minutes were over, Tokiya rejoined Ren along the sidelines. As he stepped off the ice, the ginger gave him a pat on the back and handed him his skate guards back.

"Nice job. You did well. Just remember to watch your arms and keep them straight. When you do your crossovers, try to ensure you aren't hitting your other skate. I want to avoid point deductions at all costs."

They spoke a bit more before the fourth block began. The skaters in the block weren't particularly amazing, since everyone who was in this block and lower had either lost important championships or had just come back to figure skating again. So far, the standings were Ai Mikaze in first, Reiji Kotobuki in second, and a skater by the name of Daiki Itsuka in third. Everyone had predicted that the third up-and-coming skater there, Ranmaru Kurosaki, would place in the top three, but he fell out of his triple flip jump, had trouble landing his quad Lutz, and had difficulty staying on time to his music. It was his worst performance yet, and because of it, he was currently in sixth place with a 79.62.

As it came time for Tokiya's turn on the ice, he took off his warm-up suit just before the fourth skater took their bows.

"Good luck, Icchi. Not that you'll need it." Ren grinned and took the warm-up suit from him.

Tokiya closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Ren. I won't let you down."

Once the fourth skater got his score of a 71.06, Tokiya was told to step onto the ice for his short program by a staff member. The crowd cheered as the blunet stepped onto the ice, a name that hadn't been heard in awhile was finally announced once more in the arena. He glided around the rink to get a feel for the ice once more before landing in position to start his program. Naturally, Ren began counting the timing for the program in his head as the music began, following Tokiya's every step. As the blunet reached the first approach, Ren sucked in a sharp breath. Without any trouble, Tokiya flew into a triple toe loop, landing it perfectly and went right into step sequences. Ren watched with anticipation and fear as Tokiya threw himself up into each jump they had worked on together. After landing all of them and gliding through his program without any trouble whatsoever, it was soon over. The crowd became deafeningly loud when he landed in his final pose out of a camel spin into a sit spin and then finally a back spin. Tokiya took his bows as flowers of every color were thrown onto the ice. He took two with him as he reached the boards after his perform. Ren immediately brought him into a hug as he stepped off the ice.

"That was incredible. You never fail to amaze me, Icchi. C'mon, let's go get your score." Ren broke the embrace to lead him to the "Kiss and Cry' for his turn for his scores to be revealed. His coach threw an arm around the other's shoulders, a wide grin spread across his face at his impressive performance. Tokiya's face broke out into a grin as well once he got his score.

90.14.

Ren hugged him once more, the excitement of the score became overwhelming. Tokiya returned the embrace, almost crying in his coach's arms.

.

. . .

.

"That couldn't have gone any better! Congratulations, Icchi!"

It was almost nine at night, and they had just made it back to their hotel room. An exhausted Tokiya threw his bag down against the wall and then threw himself onto his bed.

"Thank you." He was genuinely happy, but he was also worn out from the day. They had been up for more than twelve hours, and it was now starting to hit him. Now, he just had to score high in tomorrow's free skate, and then he would make it as the second member of Japan's Men's team for the 4CC. It was so close.

"Rest up. We aren't getting up early tomorrow because I don't need you passing out on the ice. Feel free to sleep in a little. I'll be waking up around 9:30 just to start getting everything ready. I'll even pack your bag for you."

"Thank you so much, Ren. I mean it."

Ren smiled at the fatigued skater. "I'm your coach. This is my job. You don't have to thank me for it. Icchi, try not to sleep in your disgusting warm-ups and costume." He began unpacking his own bag and picking out which suit to wear for tomorrow, while Tokiya somewhat managed to stand himself up, get a pair of sweats and a t-shirt for bed, and grabbed a towel, so he could shower.

"Really, Ren. Thank you." Tokiya smiled and shut the bathroom door, so he could shower the sweat from earlier away.

"You're welcome, Icchi." Once Ren was done changing and setting things up for the morning, he set an alarm and threw himself under the blankets on his bed. He fell asleep hoping that tomorrow would be just as successful as today was.

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. . .

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Today was the day of the Free Skating program. As soon as Ren got up, he immediately went to work organizing everything, so that his skater could rest as much as possible. After he had gotten changed, picked up everything from the previous day, and organized all their bags for the day, he then walked over to Tokiya's bed and woke him up. Tokiya slowly woke up and got ready for the day himself. Within an hour, they arrived at the sports complex and had signed in.

"Since you did so well yesterday, you've been moved to the second block instead of the fourth. You're also the first in that block. That's a huge step up from where you were, which is great. It also means that everyone will have their eyes on you, including the other skaters. Since you'll be going on earlier, that also means you'll have your results quicker than the rest. If you need to step away from the rink for a few minutes, you can. It will only add pressure if you sit there and wait to see if the next skater will knock your score off the leaderboard."

"Understood. I'll do my best."

"I know you will. That's why I didn't say anything." Ren gazed at him and smiled. "Now go get ready. You have an hour before the program starts."

Just like yesterday, Tokiya left to get changed into his competition costume, while Ren left to find a space for them behind the boards. Once Tokiya had found Ren, the first block of skaters were already out on the ice and warming up for their programs.

Ren leaned towards Tokiya and spoke in a whisper to him. "A lot of the other coaches have been glaring at me all day. You would think they'd spend their time helping their skaters instead."

The blunet rolled his eyes and lightly elbowed him while Ren only smirked. "I ran into the same issue in the locker room. Skaters from the lower divisions came and told me how great I did yesterday, while others kept their distance, glaring at me."

Ren threw his right arm around his shoulders. "That's what you get for being such an amazing skater. Just imagine what the 4CC will be like, only you won't be congratulated by any of the skaters. It's a competition, so I expected this to start happening at some point. Ah, I just remembered. Hijirikawa is here today."

Tokiya turned towards Ren with confusion. "He is? I thought he said he couldn't come."

"He originally wasn't going to, but he managed to catch a late flight last night. He texted me saying he was seated in the arena about ten minutes ago. He didn't want to stress you out by coming down to greet you, so he told me to pass on the message."

"Tell him I said thank you for turning up. It means a lot that he would take time out of his schedule to come here for me." Tokiya smiled and zipped up his warm-up jacket.

"Got it." Ren pulled out his phone and quickly sent a text to Masato before putting his phone away again.

"They're starting."

Upon hearing Tokiya's words, Ren looked up to see the skater's exiting the ice save for the first competitor of the day, Ai Mikaze. Tokiya sat down and watched the skater as his music started up and he began to glide across the surface of the ice. Like he had expected, Mikaze's performance was like yesterday's in the aspect of technique and performance. In the technical category, it was much harder than yesterday, yet just as, if not more, unemotional as yesterday. Ren sat down next to him like he had yesterday and waited for the program to be over before saying anything. Ai scored a 176.52 on his free skate, making his overall score a 267.91.

"That kid isn't going to get far if he keeps performing like he has. It's one thing to be technically unflawed, but for your performance to lack color, it will get boring to watch."

"I don't get how someone could be so good and not have an ounce of emotion in any of their programs."

"Icchi, that's what happens when someone focuses too hard on only the jumps and footwork. This is what I was trying to warn you about. Pressure can also do that to a person. They start to forget the basis of the program and skate just for points, to do anything they can to win."

"Well, it is hard to skate with so many people watching. With everything being recorded, skaters feel pressured to do the best they've ever done. It's understandable."

The crowd quieted down as Reiji Kotobuki came on the ice fourth and began his routine. Since the programs were longer, more jumps were allowed than the short program. Every male skater felt pressured to have at least one quad in their program, otherwise you were pitied. It wasn't a spoken rule, but throughout the years it had become the norm. Quads were the toughest to do, but they added up fast in a program, especially if it was executed nicely. Reiji seemed to be more focused than he was yesterday. The blunet figured him knocking the other out of second place drove him to be as perfect as possible today. It shone throughout the program. Every jump he had planned was executed beautifully, and the footwork was tougher and stronger. With a flourish, his routine ended on a flying sit spin into a one-handed Biellmann spin that led to his final pose. Once more, it seemed to rain flowers for the skater.

"You need to be on your A-game today. Try warming up after they announce his score."

"I planned on doing so."

Reiji was given a score of 184.05, making his overall score 272.03 and giving him first place over Mikaze.

"Jeez... I guess he meant what he said to you." Ren watched as Reiji was shown cheering in the "Kiss and Cry" with his coach over the victory so far.

Tokiya watched for only a brief moment before he stood up, put his earbuds in, and began stretching himself out.

Ren's gaze shifted to his skater with a mix of nervousness and worry. It wasn't like he didn't believe in Tokiya, but anyone would be shaken from that score. It was about sixty points off from the record held so far, but it was still very high.

Soon, the first block was over and the Zamboni was already almost done. Ren walked over to the blunet, who was running through his program and tapped his shoulder. Tokiya turned to him and took his earbuds out, understanding what he meant. Like yesterday, once the Zamboni exited the ice, the skaters made their way onto it. Ren took the skate guards from him and sent him onto the ice with a few last encouraging words. During the warm-up time skaters are allocated, coaches don't usually speak to their skaters since there isn't enough time to discuss anything in depth.

The warm-up time was now over, and everyone but Tokiya had left the ice. He adjusted his costume at the sleeves, the purple, silver, and black crystals sparkled from the lights that shone on him as he skated. With a deep breath, he skated into position, and once he heard the opening of his song, Prelude Op. 23 No.4 in D Major by Rachmaninoff, he began to glide along the ice. He began to show the audience what his skating career was like after his injury through his program. The powerful yet gentle glides and spins he performed enthralling the audience little by little. Ren stood at the boards, his hands gripping the surface hard at every little sequence and turn. As he jumped past his quad-Salchow-triple-loop combination, Ren smacked his hands against the boards in excitement. The rest of his routine went the same with Ren in constant anticipation for every jump and Tokiya gliding past it without difficulty. There was only one time when Tokiya stumbled a bit after his third quad, but he managed to catch himself and fly through the rest of his program. After a triple axel and a Biellmann spin he performed. Tokiya finally skated into his pose to end his program, a smile evident on his face, and Ren jumped once he finished, cheering loudly for the blunet. Masato, who had been originally watching from the audience, made his way to Ren's side behind the boards before Tokiya started his program and began clapping for the skater at his finale.

"You did well, Jinguji."

"You weren't half bad either, Hijirikawa."

Masato shook his head and smiled as he watched Tokiya take his bows. "I didn't do much. You got him to where he needed to be again. He looks better than he did before. Well done."

"Thanks." Ren glanced at him and playfully punched his arm. Tokiya skated over to where they were at the boards with a wrapped rose in his hand. Ren hugged the skater once he stepped off the ice and let go for Masato to do the same.

"Congratulations, Ichinose. That was a brilliant program."

Tokiya smiled at him as they parted from the hug. "Thank you, Hijirikawa. I'm glad you could make it."

"Alright, we have to save this talk for later. Right now we need to get your score." Ren slung the warm-up jacket Tokiya wore earlier around the skater's shoulders and led him to the "Kiss and Cry."

Once they sat down, Ren handed him the gift he had bought him the other day. Tokiya hugged him again and grabbed a water that was put on the table in front of them.

"The Free Skating score for Tokiya Ichinose... 190.32. His total score is 280.46, and he is currently in first place." The crowd erupted as the announcer spoke to the arena presenting Tokiya's scores. Tokiya stared in shock at the score as small tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Ren excitedly hugged the seemingly paralyzed skater.

"I told you you could do it, Icchi. I knew it." Ren handed him a tissue and the blunet smiled, taking the tissue from him.

"Thank you so much." Tokiya wiped the tears away and stood up proudly. "I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

Ren chuckled and stood up as well, beginning to lead them back to where they were. "You had the passion to get here. It wasn't just me."

Masato embraced the skater again once they got back and began praising him for his program.

Once the excitement had died down, the rest of the skaters performed their routines. None had passed the top three skaters' scores yet. The only worry left was Ranmaru Kurosaki. He had just finished his program, and to everyone's surprise, had done it fantastically. Everyone was amazed since the silveret never landed all the quads in his program. That is, until today. His performance had the audience clapping along with his every move. The high-energy choreography never died down, even as he finished. Ren, Masato, and Tokiya sat at the edge of their seats. The only skater left who had the opportunity to beat him was now sitting in the "Kiss and Cry" awaiting his scores.

"The Free Skating score for Ranmaru Kurosaki... 188.94. His total score is 268.56, and he is currently in third."

Ren whistled as he looked at the scores. "For someone to have gone from sixth to third is incredible. Not only that, but he knocked Mikaze off the podium."

"No one could have seen that coming," Tokiya remarked as he gazed at the scores as well.

"He was sixth?" Masato curiously looked at Tokiya and Ren.

"Yeah. He received the worst score he's ever gotten in the Short Program yesterday. To see him go from that, to this must really be a blow to Mikaze." Ren leaned back against the wall.

Masato seemed taken aback as he looked back at the score.

"But aside from him gaining third place, that also means our own Tokiya Ichinose here is placed first still. There are only three skaters left, but there's no one powerful enough to beat his score." Ren slapped Tokiya on the back, who in turn glared at him for a moment before smiling softly.

Lo and behold, the competition ended with the placements as they were. Tokiya was in first, Reiji was in second, and Ranmaru clenched third place. It was time for the medal ceremony, and Ren and Masato watched as Tokiya was awarded his gold medal and a bouquet of flowers. The crowd erupted as he held up the medal, a genuine smile across his face as he bowed to the audience.

"We are pleased to announce that we will award the final Men's Skating position on the Japanese team to... Tokiya Ichinose." A member of the 4CC Committee and Representative for Japan handed Tokiya a plaque congratulating him. Tokiya gratefully took the plaque and held it up for the audience. Ren and Masato clapped happily for the skater they had helped for the past month.

"It's time we started practicing for the 4CC now, isn't it, Hijirikawa?" Ren continued to clap and glanced at the ballet instructor, who nodded his head in return.

"Yes, we will. There's a lot we'll have to work on."

"Let's get him ready immediately then." Ren turned back to Tokiya, who had started to make his way back to them with tears in his eyes.

"Agreed."

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. . .

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To Be Continued...


End file.
